Pulley block and method of operating pulley blocks in sky-line systems



April 10, 1928.

C. T. HASEMAN Filed-Oct. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril'lo, 1928.

0. ,T. HA SEMAN PULLEY BLOCK AND METHOD OF OPERATING PULLEY BLOCKS INSKY LINE SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10,1928.

N TE STATES CHARLES '1. EASE-MAN,

I tsetse PATE FF or MILL CITY, oanoon.

PULLEY BLOCK AND METHOD OF OIPERATINGPULLEY BLOCKS IN SKY -LINE SYSTEMS.

Application filed October 21,1924. Seiiallflo. 744,935.

' My'invention relates'to pulley'blocks and to the method of operatingthem inwha-t is known in the art as skyline systems. I

In sky line service a supporting carriage is mounted high in the airupon a cable, of

steel for instance, that is known as the sky line. Depending from saidcarriage a pulley block'for hoisting afloa-d, as of logs, towards thesky line preparatory to its transportation thereon is employed. Inoperative connection with the carriage and pulley block, respectively,lines for operating them from the groundflareemployed, for the reasonthat, when in service the carriage and block 5 are not convenientlyaccessible.

I Sky lines as above described are devised for hoisting and carryingloads of such great weight as to require a corresponding exercise ofpower in the control and direction of the suspending elements and theirload.

In consequence of the conditions that are developed in the practicaloperation of sky lines generally, a twisting effectupon the carriage, orupon the pulley block, or upon both the carriage and the pulley block isset up,fwhich causes chafing of either the sky line, or theblock-actuating line, or both of them, to :a degree .that is damaging tothe apparatus, even to the point of danger to the workmen, andproductive of serious loss in time and money. I II The exposure to lossby reason of the twisting effect and its results above referred to hasbeen'recognized, and attempts have heretofore been made to remove thecause thereof, but with indifferent success.

My invention is designed and adapted substantially to eliminate thecause of .the loss aforesaid, and to that end it-comprises bothimprovements in the sky line system itself, in the method of operatingpulley blocks therein, and also in the pulley blocks employed therein. I

What constitutes my invention will be hereinafter specified in detailand succinctly defined in the appended claims. In the accompanyingdrawings, in which my invention, in present preferredform of embodiment,is shown,

Figure, I illustrates, largely in diagrammaticeifect, a, sky line systemcomprising my invention in respect both to the system'and to thesuspending elements, including the pulley blocks employed therein.

Figure II is a side elevation of one of my Figure IV is a horizontalsection on theline IVIV of Figure II, showing deflection of thepick-up-and-holding line which occurs under tension atoppo'site endsofthe two-sheave depending-block.

Figure V is a side elevation, complementary to Figure II, of one form,for example, of a suitable pick-up block. Referring to the numerals onthe drawings and in the first instance to Figure I thereof, .1indicates,-"by way of example, a contourline of the earth from which, asprojecting on opposite sides of a canyon, are shown uprights 2 and 8,which, usuallyand as illustrated, consist of trees in place. Saiduprights are connected, as at points indicated by the numerals 4t and 5,respectively, bya strong cable or sky line 6, and are, each in. turn,braced by guys 7 V The sky line is of sufficient strength to carry theweight of the entire load which 1 is suspended from it on a carriage '9so as to travel upon the sky line between the uprights 2 and 3. Thecarriage shown in the drawings comprises a frame 10, having preferably apair of grooved wheels 11, to fit the skyline, rotatively mountedbetween the cheek plates. The carriage may be of any suitable andpreferred construction that ,iS

adapted to perform the otfice of a travelling carrier for the load.

Suspended from'the carriage 9 bya uni versal joint loose meansof'connection, is a two-sheave depending-block 14.. The loose manner ofsuspension thereof constitutes a feature of my invention, because by aidof it not only the block 14 but also the carriage is relieved of theinjurious consequences of that twisting effect that is directlycommunicated to the block 14 and isindirectly communicated through it tothe carriage upon the sky line 6, from which indirect effect,

without adequate provision for preventing it, would result a seriouslydangerous chafing of the line 6 against the frame of the carriage 9.

I The universal joint loose means of connection aforesaid comprisespreferably. two

links 15 and 16 united as in a chain. The link 15 makes pendulous unionwith the carriage frame 10 at a point below and substantiallyequidistant from the'wheels 11, if the preferred two wheels are used.The link 16 is by preference united to the frame of the block 14,substantially in the manner described in the paragraph next below.

The purpose of the block 14 isto effect ant-ifriction means of reeving aline through it,

so as to prevent abrasion between the blockrequisite strength andsecurity,preferably b a yoke 19 secured between them as by rivets 20, asshown in thedrawings. In like manner a spacing-block 21 is secured belowbetween those portions of the plates 17 and 18 which are opposite to theyoke19. The said yoke is loosely united to the link 16 in some suitableway, as, for example, by a swivel joint 22 that is rot-ative about itsvertical axis. The space which separates the plates 17 and 18 is dividedin two by a spaced median plate 24, that is firmly anchored, above andbelow, in the yoke 19 andthe spacing-block, respectively, and isprovided with a suitable recess in its upper part for operativeaccommodation of the head 25 of the swivel joint 22.. a

In the spaces provided betwecnthe plates 17 and 18 and the parallelmedian plate 24,

respectively, are, on adequately strong bearmg pins 26, each fixed atone end in one of said plates and at theother in the median plate 24,rotatably mounted, .in suitable journal-bearing boxes 29, sheaves 27 and28. The sheave 27 is disposed, at one end of the block frame, while thesheave 28 and its pin 26 is disposed at the other end of the block frameopposite to that in which thesheave 27 and its pin26 are mounted.

The relative disposition of the sheaves 27 and 28, substantially as hasbeen just described, is important for reasons which will presently,appear. In that connection also it should be again observed that thespace between each side plate and the median. plate is occupied only atone end by*a sheave leaving theother end of said space empty; and thatthe two sheaves 2 7 and 28 are located art-opposite ends, respectively,of the block 14.f The feature of construction referred to in the lastsentence will appear from careful comparison of the several Figures II,III, and IV of the drawings.

. Relative to the disposition of the respective sheaves, itis nextspecified that each of the side plates 17 and 18, at the empty end ofthe space defined as aforesaid between it rename rightangles tothelongitudinal axes of its a companion pair of rollers 33. Each .roller32 is preferably mounted on an axle 35 carever it may be, in oppositebracket-supports 37 that are riveted to said side-plate.

Each one of each pair of rollers 33 is mounted on a respective axle 38of which .ricd on its proper side-plate, 17 or 18, whichthe inner end isfixed to themedian plate, 7

and its outer end fixedlto a bridge-plate 39 which spans the recessdefined by the line 30 in its appropriate side-plate 17 or 18, to

which the opposite ends of the bridge-plate 39 is firmly secured as byriveting. Each of the six several axles 35 terminally. threaded andprovided with a nut 40 adapted to hold the axle to which it is attachedin place.

and 38 43 indicates a,p1ck-up-and-holding line that fixedly secured, asindicated at 44, to

the upright 2, and which passes througha guide pulley 45 on theupright 3to suitable operating mechanism of ordinary kind not necessary toillustrate, The line 43in pass ing between the uprights. 2 and 3includes .a loop portion 46 which hangs below the block 14 from thesheaves 27 and 28 over which the line 43 runs. The turns of the line 43about the saidsheaves, respectively, are made was to effect an overlapof the line upon opposite sides of the median plate 24, which serves inthat regard as a partition plate to keep the overlapping portions of theline 43 positively separated and out of contact. Also the line .43enters the block 14 between one of the groups of rollers 32 and 33 andleaves it from between the other group of rollers, so that it issmoothly guided by cooperation of the two groups in its passage throughsaid block; 3

By the relative disposition last described block 14 may bereducedsubstantially to the point of elimination, through thecooperation of, the'respective groups of rollers 32 and 33 whicheffectually prevents any chafing of the line 43' at any point againsttheframe of the block 14. The rollers 32 cooperate in that regard tosmoothly guide the line 43 under lateral twisting tendency of the block14, while the opposing rollers 33 of each roller group smoothly guidethe line 43 against any tendency of the block 14 to tip up or down, inconsequence, for example,

sides a single sheave 48 and a pendent clevis 49 to which a load 50 maybe secured, eye

lets 51 and 52 disposed, respectively, upon opposite sides of the block47. Said eyelets represent any suitable means for attaching to the blocka main line 53 and a haul-back line 54, by aid whereof, throughconnection directly with the block 47 the carriage, 9 and all themembers pendent therefrom, including the block 47, may be caused totravel along the sky line 6. y

The lines 53 and 54 might be separate lines, but they preferablyconstitute two portions of one endless line 56 which is, as by properlydisposed guide pulleys 57, directed to suitable operating mechanism, notillustrated. Said operating mechanism is, of course, located withinoperative proximity to the mechanism above mentioned for operating theline 43, so that the two lines 43 and 56 may be, at a single convenientstation, brought under the control of one operative.

Theoperation of the apparatus described in the foregoing specificationmay be briefly explained as follows.

Let it be assumed that the apparatus is installed for service as shownin Figure I, and that the pick-up block 47 has received and lifted tothe desired height above ground its load 50. Under such conditions theline 43 has, in its pick-up capacity under actuation by its operatingmechanism, done its ofiice.

Afterwards, being held by said mechanism under tension between itspoints of support 44 and 45, the line 43 functionates in its furthercapacity as a holding line, that is to say, it holds the block 47 andits load in suspension in midair; The point of said suspension may beanywhere on the line 6 along which it is the purpose intended totransport it through travel upon it of the carriage 9. Said travel, ineither direction from the point of suspension illustrated in Figure I,may be effected through actuation by its appropriate operating mechanismof the line 56 in the manner described below.

Let it be assumed, for instance, that the carriage is in travel towardsthe upright 3. In that case a pull upon the line 53 will effect theresult desired in the following manner.

Pull upon the line 53 will be exerted directly upon the block 47', whichwill, through the strands of the loop portion 46 of the line 43, betransmitted to the block 14 and, through it, ultimately with motiveeffect to the carriage 9. The block '14, during the time of .theexertion of said pull, will slide upon the line 43 without disturbingits operative re lationship already described, with respect to saidblock. While the line 53 is operating to draw the carriage 9 in themanner just described, the line 54 will be under tension produced by theweight or frictional resistance to motion of the slack of the line 56 ofwhich the lines 53 and 54 are parts, as has been previously specified.The efi'ect produced will be a counter strain exerted between the lines53 and 54 which will tend, in great measure, to prevent pendulousvibration of the members depending from the carriage.

The slip of the line 43 through the block 14 will be smoothlyfacilitated by the cooperative guidance of the rollers 32 on oppositeends of saidblock, and said rollers will prevent abrasion between thatblock and the line 43. At the same time, the presence of the loopportion 46 of the line 43 will permit in the block 14 more or less of anup and down swinging motion which the pairs of opposing rollers 33 willeffectually take care of, so as to prevent abrasion between the block'14and its line 43 that might be, in the absence of the rollers 33,occasioned by Cph'e up and down swinging motion, aforesai What I claimis: r v I ,1. In an apparatus'of the class described, ablock traversablealong a cable, said cable being reeved through said block to exert atorsional influence thereupon, and anti-friction means on the block forengaging the cable to resist sa d torsional influence.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

a block traversable along a cable, said cable being reevedtllIOUglrSitld block to exert a torsional influence thereupon, andforeand aft anti-friction means 011 said block for engaging the cable toresist said torsional in- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set myhand. i

CHARLES T. HASEMAN.

